Multimedia streaming over a network from a content server to a media device has been widely adopted for media consumption. One type of media streaming, adaptive bit rate (ABR) streaming is a technique used to stream media over computer networks. Current adaptive streaming technologies are almost exclusively based on HTTP and designed to work efficiently over large distributed HTTP networks such as the Internet.
For example, HTTP live streaming (HLS) protocol allows a content server to publish variant playlist files to media devices. A variant playlist file identifies multiple sets video streams or profiles for a media program, such as a movie, a television program, etc. where each set of video streams or profiles has unique encoding parameters (e.g., bit rates, resolutions, etc.) for the media program. As used herein, each stream at a particular resolution or bit rate is called a profile. Other HTTP standards include dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH) and smooth streaming. DASH is a similar protocol that uses an mpd file to identify multiple sets video streams or profiles for a media program.
The media devices may dynamically switch between the profiles identified in the variant playlist file as the sets of video streams are transmitted from the content server to the media devices. The media devices may choose to receive an initial set of video streams identified in the variant playlist file based on initial network conditions, initial buffer conditions, etc. For example, the media devices may choose to receive high definition (HD) video streams identified in the variant playlist file if the initial network conditions, the initial buffer conditions, etc. support the streaming of the HD video streams. If the network conditions degrade or if the buffer conditions degrade, etc., then the media devices may choose to receive a lower definition or lower bitrate video streams identified in the variant playlist file. That is, the media device may choose different video streams to receive from the content server where the different sets of video streams have different encoding parameters.
Selection and transmission of the video streams are driven by the media devices. In response to a selection of a video streams identified in the variant playlist file, the content server passively transmits the video streams to the media device. While a media device may select the profiles it receives dynamically, the sets of video streams or profiles provided to the content server by a transcoder and then to the media devices are typically static or fixed. Consequently, the content server will typically receive and store numerous profiles for the media devices to select from. This generation and storage of numerous profiles is computationally and storage intensive.
Per recent FCC regulations, content servers, including HD set top boxes, are urged to offer media transport with discovery and remote control pass through using an open industry standard, such as digital living network alliance (DLNA), for home networking. Current HTTP based streaming, such as HLS, DASH and smooth streaming, do not meet device discovery, content UPNP publishing and open device addressing capabilities urged by recent FCC regulations. Thus, it would be desirable to source content streams to networked devices using open standards.